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The House of the Seven Gables
The House of the Seven Gables
The House of the Seven Gables
Audiobook10 hours

The House of the Seven Gables

Written by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Narrated by Donada Peters

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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About this audiobook

The wealthy Colonel Pyncheon covets the carpenter Mathew Maule's land. A few years later, during the witch hysteria in Salem, Maule is brought before a judge on witchcraft charges and is sentenced to death. Before his execution, Maule curses the Pyncheon family. The Colonel, undaunted, continues to build an extravagant house on Maule's property. After the house is finished, however, the Colonel is found dead, and the property deed is missing.

More than 200 years later, we meet the family in its decaying, gabled mansion, still haunted by the presence of dead ancestors: Hepzibah, an elderly gentlewoman fallen on hard times; her ineffectual brother, Clifford; and young Phoebe, a country maiden who cheerfully takes it upon herself to care for her two doddering relations. There's also Holgrave, a free-spirited daguerreotypist, who makes a surprising transformation into conventional respectability.

Hawthorne's masterful tale describes the brooding hold of the past over the present, twisting and turning through many generations of a venerable New England family.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 18, 2009
ISBN9781400180790
Author

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and biographer. His work centres on his New England home and often features moral allegories with Puritan inspiration, with themes revolving around inherent good and evil. His fiction works are considered part of the Romantic movement and, more specifically, Dark romanticism.

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Reviews for The House of the Seven Gables

Rating: 3.6285714285714286 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Matthew Maule was hung for witchcraft. Just before he died he faced his chief persecutor in Salem, and cursed him. “At the moment of execution—with the halter about his neck, and while Colonel Pyncheon sat on horseback, grimly gazing at the scene—Maule had addressed him from the scaffold, and uttered a prophecy of which history, as well as fireside tradition, has preserved the very words. “God,” said the dying man, pointing his finger, with a ghastly look, at the undismayed countenance of his enemy, “God will give him blood to drink!” Hawthorne gives us an arch, exacting, and detailed descriptions of his characters and their interactions. As in this description of Judge Pyncheon’s departure from the House of the Seven Gables, having been rebuffed by Hepzibah in his attempt to see the newly arrived Clifford. “As is customary with the rich, when they aim at the honors of a republic, he apologized, as it were, to the people, for his wealth, prosperity, and elevated station, by a free and hearty manner towards those who knew him; putting off the more of his dignity in due proportion with the humbleness of the man whom he saluted, and thereby proving a haughty consciousness of his advantages as irrefragably as if he had marched forth preceded by a troop of lackeys to clear the way.” Page 118
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Several years ago, I went on a trip to Salem, Massachusetts and right as we were getting on the airplane my best friend's mom gave me a copy of The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne. You might be completely confused about why this would be the best reading material for a quick airplane trip from Alabama to Massachusetts so allow me to shed some light on the situation for you. The story is all about the Pyncheon family and their gabled house in Salem (which is an actual home that you should all visit). The matriarch of the family, Hepzibah, has been forced to open a small shop in the house to supplement their income after her brother, Clifford, is released from prison for a crime which he has always maintained he did not commit. A distant cousin, Phoebe, joins their ranks just as they taken on a lodger by the name of Holgrave who mostly keeps to himself. An estranged cousin who is a Judge in town is a malevolent spirit on the fringes of their lives. There is a legend surrounding the family that they are cursed and that is why misfortune has seemed to follow them since the family home was acquired. It's a classic example of Gothic literature with a supernatural twist of the occult. If you're hesitant to give it a shot because of The Scarlet Letter (which I honestly wouldn't blame you for as I really didn't like that novel myself), I strongly encourage you to make an exception. It's a really fantastic book with a swiftly moving plot that is full of intrigue, romance, and familial drama.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Hawthorne is the equivalent of nudging someone and winking without actually thinking of anything interesting, risque, beautiful, or even useful. It is sad that a man with such a voluminous writing ability was seemingly devoid of any notion of what to do with it.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Though Gothic in style, the comparative lightness of this book's themes (as opposed to The Scarlet Letter) allows the full wryness of Hawthorne to blossom. God, especially in the descriptions of Hepzibah. Don't get me wrong, there is full creepiness at some points, but it's light hearted in a way, as terrible things happen to the Pyncheons because they're Pyncheons, though they feel that that particular attribute—being Pyncheons—should be protecting them from such degradation and horror.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This story is about a poor woman and her cousin. I think this story is a little difficult. But I like this book. 
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I liked Hepzibah. And Hawthorne's descriptions are vivid and pleasing to the mind's eye. Those are the only nice things I can think of to say about this book. Hawthorne's narrative is rambling and I still can't tell you what the hell the plot was of the book. Completely and utterly forgettable. This saddens me since I enjoyed The Scarlet Letter and love what short stories of his I've read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I loved this book. Certainly it is wordy, heavy on description and detail, but still beautifully written.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    "This contrast, or intermingling of tragedy with mirth, happens daily, hourly, momently. This gloomy and desolate old house, deserted of life, and with awful Death sitting sternly in its solitude, was the emblem of many a human heart, which, nevertheless, is compelled to hear the thrill and echo of the world's gaiety around it." The incredible detail of The House of Seven Gables left me feeling extreme pity one moment and laughing out loud to myself the next. This was just about everything I could ask for in a novel - a curse that spans generations, a haunted house and a wealth of description. A great read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    What an odd little story. Nathaniel Hawthorne's second fictional foray into Puritanical New England has the frame of a story — a family curse, an unsolved mystery, a pair of lovers, a properly solemn and hauntworthy mansion — but I find the plot recedes to secondary importance next to the character sketches. These are richly drawn, with whole chapters devoted to the examination of one person's inner workings. The story is an exploration of revenge, atonement, ghosts, mystery, and money. Far in the past, there was a dispute over the land on which the Pyncheon house was built. The harsh Puritan Colonel Pyncheon used his influence to have his opponent, Matthew Maule, executed for witchcraft. Maule cursed the Pyncheon family ("God will give you blood to drink!"), and Colonel Pyncheon died alone in his study the night of the housewarming — choking on his own blood. The present-day mystery comes in with the loss of the deeds to Indian territory that would make the Pyncheons rich again; did Maule's curse destroy them, too? The current descendants of the Pyncheon line are less imposing, but no less interesting. I'll never forget Hawthorne's opening portrait of Hepzibah Pyncheon, the quintessential old maid of an old family, with all the dignity and hidden torture of poverty. She is not beautiful, is Hepzibah, and her redeeming qualities of faithfulness and compassion are tempered by others less attractive, like querulousness, weakness, and lack of imagination. She is, quite simply, human.Clifford Pyncheon, Hepzibah's older brother, is finally home after a long imprisonment for the murder of his uncle many years before. His mind is broken and he is a pathetic aesthete, loving beautiful things but twisted by the ugliness of his life's realities. He is another facet of the mystery, because the reader doesn't learn why he was imprisoned (and whether or not he committed the crime) until the very end.Into this oppressive atmosphere comes the young and lovely Phoebe, a distant cousin in the Pyncheon family tree who soon becomes indispensable to her older relations. Of Phoebe I have less to say; she is quite a winning creature on the pages of the book, but Hepzibah is by far the more memorable. Holgrave, the lodger, is another interesting character, but he too recedes behind a more flamboyantly drawn character, Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon. In Jaffrey Pyncheon the harsh and unrelenting spirit of old Colonel Pyncheon lives again, but this time under a highly respectable guise. Hawthorne spends quite a bit of time on Jaffrey, turning him this way and that, trying to pierce the inequities and deficiencies of soul that could produce such a moral monster. I found these examinations to be some of the most riveting passages of the novel. But then, Hawthorne has always been able to fascinate me with his character studies... I've actually read The Scarlet Letter both for a college assignment and then again later for pleasure (strange, I know). There's just something magnetic about his prose and how he so easily navigates the inner lives of his characters. He makes me believe in them. I have a more charitable view of the Puritans than does Hawthorne, who counted among his ancestors some who played a role in the Salem Witch trials. The Puritans are people like anyone else, and the notorious members of their tribe always seem to overshadow the Puritan men and women of true godliness and spirituality. What I have read of the Puritans' religious writings has been sterling, despite the popular image they bear of self-righteous cruelty.I'm not sure I will revisit this book; for all its atmospheric settings and unforgettable characters, it hangs together oddly somehow. Not sure why.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Phenomenal language and characterization.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I thought that this book was painful to read. I have been trying to read the Classics but I couldn't even force myself to finish it. There was no room for imagination, every adjective in the world (it seemed) was used to describe every bit of this story. I got so sick of having everything descibed to me that I started obsessing on that instead of following the story.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book is pretty tedious and pretentious, but it was readable, and had a plot and fairly well-developed characters, and not too much purple prose. It's not my favorite classic, by any estimate, but it's probably worth reading.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I've read a lot of classics but for some reason this was one of the hardest books I've ever read. I can't really say I enjoyed it much but I am glad of the accomplishment of having read it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It is often enlightening to read something once again after a few decades. I came across Merrill’s English Texts, The House of the Seven Gables, and was delighted to find more than just the original book. Published for use in schools, there are questions and topics for study after the main book as well as an amusing price list. Although we have more literature that has been added to our list of important works in the past 100 years, the questions for students show the depth of thought put into composition, style and other topics of discussion. One of my favorites is under Style where it asks the reader to state the moral of the story and to […Find the verse in the Bible and] Learn it.I particularly enjoyed the notes in the back explaining certain words and expressions, some of which may have been new ideas at the time but are obvious to anyone today. The explanation of “Jim Crow” had much more to be added in the years after 1907 but I was amazed to find that the term was once applied to gingerbread men. I found it enlightening in terms of history and in terms of understanding my own New England roots. We are often so taken with new works that we have forgotten the humor and beautiful writing of authors who create what are deservedly called classics. The style is not for everyone, since our fast-paced world today doesn’t allow for lengthy setting of scenes or taking in details. Even the lulls in the story are filled with interesting bits of historical and political observations that are relevant to current events.Since we seem to have some time at this moment in history, we could channel surf our days away, or we can take advantage of the online resources and finally get around to reading those books we have wanted to read for so long.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Delightful and haunting gothic novel.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A Gothic story by New England author Nathaniel Hawthorne features the house of seven gables which is a real home in New England that was in the Hawthorne family. The story is set in the 19th century but has flashbacks back to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The book is considered Gothic and a mild bit of horror with the dark house in disrepair and no sunlight with two old people who are as good as dead because they have no life outside of the home. The story also features death, eating blood and dying (a curse on the family) as well as ghosts, witchcraft and possible murder. There is also a bit of Gothic romance to be found. I found the flies to be quite disgusting. Interesting enough the family in this story is the Pyncheon family. The Pyncheon is a real family and were ancestors of American novelist Thomas Pynchon. Hawthorne did not mean to have this family be a real family so he did threaten to change the name but this never happened. And this from Wikipedia about the influence on Lovecraft who called Hawthorne and author of weird fiction. "The novel was an inspiration for horror fiction writer H. P. Lovecraft, who called it "New England's greatest contribution to weird literature" in his essay "Supernatural Horror in Literature". Seven Gables likely influenced Lovecraft's short stories "The Picture in the House", "The Shunned House" and novella The Case of Charles Dexter Ward."Rating 3.33
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I read somewhere that trying to read Hawthorne is like trying to run through mud. This book is no exception. I couldn't get through two pages without falling asleep, and I NEVER fall asleep while reading. Absolutely nothing but character development happened until the last three chapters... and most of the character's weren't worth that much development. Some may be a fan of his fantastic use of words to paint a picture, and while I agree it is fantastic, it is also boring.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Definitely a classic. Hawthorne catches the mood of his time very well. The tale itself reminds me of some of Dicken's plots.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Purchased in anticipation of a trip to Salem, MA to visit the actual House of the Seven Gables, I have to admit that I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I was going to. Written in 1851, The House of the Seven Gables is at once both a period romance and history of the Pyncheon family, focusing on a several week period of the lives of the current owner, Hepzibah Pyncheon, her brother Clifford, cousin Phoebe and their lodger, Holgrave. Themes of guilt and retribution run throughout the novel, as the histories of both the house and the Pyncheon and Maule families are all brought to light. Hawthorne relies heavily on not only his own family's history to help him build some of the plots in his novel, but also on the general history of the area, with aspects of the novel dating back to the Salem Witch Hysteria of 1692. The house has stood for centuries as a spectator to these happenings, and seems to be haunted by the ghosts of the suffering that has occurred within its halls.While suffering from many of what I see as familiar plot devices for its time (family secrets, hidden identities, convenient deaths and sudden marriages that let everyone live "happily ever after"), Hawthorne was still able to craft and wonderful and imaginative novel. While some of the descriptions may seem extraordinarily long by todays standards, I felt as though this added to the books charm. Some may find it hard to read, but if you let yourself be picked up by the story and not try to think your way through the book, you'll soon find yourself completely engrossed in poor Hepzibah's trials and tribulations.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The usual Hawthorne makes for some long sentences, but not necessarily unwieldy; it just takes a little more concentration than some. I enjoyed very much this story of an old house and the family that lives in (and through) it. It reminded me a little of Poe's Fall of the House of Usher. An enjoyable read, but just note that it's from an earlier era when we had longer attention spans.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Another atmospheric read for the Halloween Group Read but this one evoked some mixed feelings. I was expecting the slow, deliberate pace of 19th century fiction, and certainly got it. It required a willingness to be patient with the unhurried exposition of characters and the frequent pauses for admonitory reflection, plus an acceptance of the fact that there aren't going to be any electrifying moments. I wasn't in any hurry and was able to relax and enjoy the trip.What I didn't enjoy was the ending. After 290 pages of this slow trip, we get a sudden and very pat ending for our characters in about 50 pages. Yet, even at that, very little of the story's completion came as part of the plot through the offices of the characters. Instead, the narrator interjects himself for half of it to give us an "oh, by the way" explanation, clarifying what has happened. I was rather disappointed by all this.In the end, I'm glad I read it, enjoyed it, and would mildly recommend it. If you don't look for modern pacing or excitement, it can be quite pleasant...like floating along on a slow-moving stream with a nice view.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Spinster Hepzibah Pyncheon lives alone with a scowl on her face in her family home until the day Cousin Phoebe with her bright sunshine shows up to lighten every aspect of Hepzibah's dreary existence. Together they try and hold the Pyncheon legacy together in the old house and seem to be doing well until Hepzibah's brother Clifford returns and brings back to the surface a generations old curse on the Pyncheon family. A hidden deed, stolen property, mysterious relatives and a house that has seen it all weave a story that takes the reader back to the very beginning, providing clues along the way. What really happened between the Pyncheons and Maules; why was one family set for life and the other destined to live in poverty? What really happened that night so many years ago to plunge brother Clifford into a lifetime of despair? And, most importantly, who is the real villain of this story??My Thoughts:I thoroughly enjoyed this book...I enjoyed the language and the descriptions and didn't get caught up in them as I've read some people do. Of course American Lit is my favorite, so I'm sure I'm biased. I think what I needed from this book was a truly enjoyable slow paced, but not too slow paced, journey through a narrative. I definitely got that.I felt like I knew Hepzibah, Phoebe and even Clifford. I hated Judge Pyncheon because he just reeked of meanness, and the way he treated Clifford was unforgiveable...as if he was just trying to push Clifford over the edge. Holgrave, who lived in one of the gables, gave me the creeps a little because he was such a mysterious character the entire time...I was never sure of his intentions, nor was I sure Hepzibah or Phoebe was safe with him. I loved Phoebe and Hepzibah...Hepzibah for her acceptance of her life (to a certain extent) and for welcoming Phoebe into her home and not even being jealous when her beloved brother wanted to spend more time with Phoebe than her...and Phoebe's simple acceptance of Hepzibah, just the way she was. I also loved Phoebe's simple love of life. She opened her eyes each morning to see the sun, to see Clifford, to see their garden, to spend time in the shop...she is a true pure hear, and I think her presence was a blessing for Hepzibah.I kept waiting for a ghost. Twice I thought I had the story figured out...and twice I was wrong. When Clifford and Hepzibah left, I didn't see that coming at all and was so disappointed but frightened at the same time. I decided then that Clifford was a psychopath...See. I was all over the place...and I really didn't know what was going to happen. I didn't figure this out until the very end of the story, and that was cool bc it doesn't happen very often for me anymore. Are you confused?Good.:)Final Recommendation:I would read this one again just for the sheer enjoyment of reading Hawthorne's prose-like narrative. If you enjoy words, language, Hawthorne, "typical" American Lit, dark, spooky old timey stories, you'll like this one.Don't try to fly through it though; take your time and enjoy it :)Yes, I'm an English teacher; why do you ask?;)
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The House of the Seven Gables is a gothic novel, set in the 19th century. We are given the history of the house (built 160 prior to the main story) and the main inhabitants, the Pyncheon family. The house has been haunted since its construction by fraudulent dealings, accusations of witchcraft, and sudden death. The current resident, Hepzibah Pyncheon, opens a shop in a side room to support her brother Clifford, who is about to leave prison after serving thirty years for murder. A distant relative, young Phoebe, turns up and quickly becomes invaluable, the one bright spot in a gloomy dreary house. Themes of guilt, retribution, greed, curses and burden of family history are explored. I only mildly enjoyed this book—partly because I couldn’t really develop a strong attachment to any of the characters. I would give this novel a 21/2 out of 5 stars.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A spooky classic for October. This reminds me of a Shirley Jackson's 'The Haunting of Hill House' but with more to say about the human mind and situation than I remember from Hill House. The psychology that Hawthorne presents here for his characters is most impressive. No matter who the character, Hawthorne can seamlessly create an inner life: what comes with Hepzibah's solitude. The prison of the mind that comes after the incarceration of Clifford. At times I could relate to Hepzibah, Clifford and Phoebe. The ending seems to wrap a little too conveniently and perfectly for everyone, but Hawthorne's delving into so many minds was worth it. So much more here than "the wrongdoing of one generation lives into the successive ones".
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    819 The House of Seven Gables A Romance, by Nathaniel Hawthorne (read 15 Sep 1965) I found this a worthwhile book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It took me a really long time to get through this book, but I'm not really sure why. I enjoyed every moment of it and found the writing clever and accessible. I picked it up initially because I remembered enjoying The Scarlet Letter in highschool and wanted to revisit Hawthorne, but decided to read something I was completely unfamiliar with so that I could decide what my feelings were about his writing without being influenced by my experiences being taught it in school. I liked The House of the Seven Gables far more than I liked The Scarlet Letter, and had an excellent time getting to know the characters -- including the house itself, which functions very much like a character throughout the novel.The House of the Seven Gables is about the Pyncheon family and their family home, and mainly concerns elderly Hepzibah Pyncheon and her brother Clifford Pyncheon as they struggle against Judge Pyncheon who seeks to uncover a missing fortune. Their story is reflective of what we are told about the entire Pyncheon family history, and there are hints and connections placed around the book about their past and the infamous Pyncheon family curse.The story is suspenseful and moves along at a moderate pace, though we are given a lot of very pleasurable images of the house and the town and the smaller characters within it. Though it's a very serious book in most ways, there are instances of light-heartedness that I found very refreshing. Hawthorne's prose style is inviting and captivating. I'm excited to continue reading his work.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Still a classic.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    They just don't come like this any more. The House of the Seven Gables is a book that will take time to read, but is well worth it for the historical events, language, and thought. Relationships between characters are interesting and the history of the house itself brings you far deeper into the story than you could imagine. There is no one plot here, but several moving around and shifting all at once; each character having their own story told to its conclusion. If ever you wanted to pick up a book for the single purpose of diving in to complex language and thought, into deep feelings and actions related to such, this is one of those books. There are scenes and images that will remain with you as beautiful, heart warming, or sad, all the way throughout. Inspiration for writers and thinkers can come from these pages, don't be modern and rush through each page. This is a book best read in time, as if you were living in the days when books were the television of the era. Set aside your schedule for a little while each day and go back in time. You'll be glad you did.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is an odd book. It's diverting, but not amazing. It concerns an age old feud between the Pyncheon family and the Maule family. It involves murder, or maybe not. It involves theft, or maybe not. A whole lot of nothing happens, punctuated by the occasional mystical episode. I'm glad I only paid £1 for it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I bought this book at the "Old Manse" in Concord, Massachusetts where Nathaniel Hawthorne lived for three years with his bride, Sophia Peabody. The house is wonderful to visit and seems alive with their presence --there are notes they wrote to each other etched in the glass using Sophia's diamond ring. The House of Seven Gables still sits in Salem, Massachusetts. The book is grossing in its finely drawn characters, quaint detail of daily life of the time and creation of an atmosphere of dread. The house is, itself, a character, witnessing from just after the Salem witch trials through one hundred and fifty years, the torment and decline of a family. The novel does suffer from the flaws of many novels of the period - a reliance on untimely deaths, inheritance of great wealth and sudden marriage. The narrative style also creates a distance from the characters' internal lives as though all has been observed on a stage. It is, however, compelling and very funny in parts. It would also be suitable for a teenager who enjoys tales of the occult since the conflict of the novel begins with the sentencing to death of a villager for the crime of witchcraft.